Thanks to Niffenegger’s nurturing—specifically his development of Honda Racing’s $2800 suspension, brake, and exhaust component kit—what began life as a phone booth evolved into a super subcompact without any involvement from Clark Kent.

The Fit’s tall build, low beltline, and panoramic windows enable easy sighting of critical braking, turn-in, and apex points. Spotting the exact location of enemy pursuers will also prove useful in the heat of B-Spec battle.

The Honda earned high praise for its good basic balance, willingness to turn, and poise at the ragged edges of adhesion. Trail braking swings its tail nicely. In left turning, the Fit tied with the Mazda 2 at the head of the class with 1.16 g. Steering and braking systems both provide useful feedback while the shifter and pedals are nicely arranged for heel-and-toe operation. Several drivers rated the Fit the easiest of the four cars to drive at the limit.

Compensating for its stock-trim power and torque deficiencies, this Honda has a ravenous appetite for rpm. That helps overcome gearing issues—third is short for some of the flat-out bends while fourth feels gutless—and the difficulty in reading the tach, which is buried in a deeply recessed, shadowy instrument cluster. To its credit, this car hit 95.0 mph at the end of the straight, the highest velocity recorded all day.

The Best and Others to Consider

The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.

Editors' Rating

Starting at

$17,065

An amazingly flexible interior, an efficient powertrain, and agreeable pricing make the Fit an easy recommendation.

The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.

Editors' Rating

Starting at

$16,845

The car formerly known as the Scion iA gains a few Toyota badges and transforms into the Yaris iA for 2017.

The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.